On May 29, Anthony Pollina, Vermont Progressive Party state chair, held a press conference to reiterate that he is still running for Governor. There had been speculation that he might bow out of the race and run for Lieutenant Governor instead, since the Democrats recently recruited a candidate for Governor.
Good for him for not backing down.
Good, the Democratic Candidate should bow out and run for Lt. Governor! Pollina is by far the better known not to mention better liked candidate. The democratic house speaker should drop out rather then play the spoiler candidate and allow Jim Douglas to be re-elected.
Agreed. Every third party ought to proudly pursue their electoral goals without threat or intimidation of common bromides like spoiler etc. Every third party vote is earned 10x over what the de facto condition yields.
If the Progressive and Democrat split the vote, causing the Republican Douglas to be re-elected, the Democrats can blame themselves for not mustering enough votes to override Douglas’s veto of Instant Runoff Voting.
Except that the bill on Instant-Runoff Voting only applied to US Senate and US House. The bill didn’t include state offices because there is some uncertainty about whether the State Constitution would interfere for the state offices.
Okay, I rescind my previous derogatory comparison between the VTPP and the WFP.
The Vermont Democratic branch of the anti democratic establishment: self inflicted wounds, with little to gain and lots to lose!
Doesn’t Vermont’s consitution allow for the legislature to pick the winner if no candidate gets a majority of the votes and the other main candidate (or is it all candidates?) do not concede? It has never happend before I believe since the second place finisher has always bowed out. But couldn’t either Pollina or Symington ask the heavily liberal legislature to vote them in?
Please take a look at Pollina’s website. The Pollina campaign and the Progressive has never, and will never, take a nickel of corporate money. If you’re able to make a donation it will be very much appreciated.
Obama Chris is right, the Vermont constitution says if no one gets a majority for Governor, the legislature picks the Governor. There is a strong tradition that the legislature picks whoever got the most votes. But that is just tradition, and the legislature might do something else in this unusual year.